The caterpillars will only be around through the first few weeks of April before they cocoon and transition into moths.

Tussock moth caterpillars are native to Florida and the southeastern United States and feed on oak trees, among many others.

The Florida Department of Health says direct contact with the caterpillar, its hairs or its cocoon can cause "an allergic reaction that can lead to the development of an itchy rash." In addition to ...

The caterpillar, along with most others in the Saturniidae family, spins a silk cocoon. This is where it then spends its time as a pupa, the stage of development before the moth becomes an adult.

They're called tussock moth caterpillars ... in search of the perfect place to spin their cocoons, according to scientists at the University of Florida. And the issue lies in the hairy details.